U.S. seeks access to detained aid workers in Afghanistan

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, AUG. 9. The United States, even while paying very close attention to the goings on in Afghanistan, is being careful in its criticism of the Taliban for the latest developments. At least two Americans who were working for the Germany-based Shelter Now International, have been arrested in Afghanistan and the group charged with promoting Christianity.

At the State Department, the spokesman was asked to comment on the interactions with the aid group including their response to the Taliban charges of proselytizing. The German organisation has denied the charges and has maintained that the Christian literature that had been seized by authorities were strictly for private use. The Taliban does not buy this line of argument.

``I really don't want to offer any comment on these charges of proselytizing. I think it's important for us to be careful in this matter'', the spokesman, Mr. Richard Boucher, said on Wednesday. The U.S. has asked the Taliban authorities permission to visit the detained American citizens. So have Australia and Germany; and according to reports here, diplomats of the three countries are planning to travel together by a U.N. plane once the necessary travel documents have been issued.

The State Department has also said that the U.S. is working with officials in Pakistan who have been helping with communications with the Taliban. ``The Taliban charge in Islamabad has told our charge that the detained employees of Shelter Now are in good condition and are being treated well'', Mr. Boucher said during a regular press briefing.

One of the concerns in this part of the world was whether the detained aid workers would receive the death sentence if found guilty of the charges. According to the strict interpretation by the Taliban of the Islamic Sharia law, anyone found trying to convert Afghanistan Muslims into Christianity or anyone who converted faced the death penalty. The particular frustration in diplomatic circles is that there is no news if the arrested personnel have been charged. Afghanistan is practically isolated in the international community with a mere three states, including Pakistan, having recognised the outfit in Kabul.

The U.N. has imposed stringent sanctions against the Taliban and very recently decided to tone up the sanctions regime by a two- part monitoring mechanism in the countries bordering Afghanistan and an experts group in New York.

It is not the attempt of the Taliban to turn Afghanistan into a ``pure'' Islamic state that has led to the ire of the comity of nations; rather, it is on the subject of terrorism. In the eyes of many, the Taliban has turned the areas of its occupation to train terrorists or soldiers of fortune. In the Security Council, almost any resolution on the Taliban has no difficulty in getting through for Washington, Moscow and Beijing have little to no use for the ruling outfit in Kabul.

The U.S. has been especially tough on the Taliban even while making exceptions on the humanitarian front. The main pique of Washington is that the fundamentalist outfit has been harbouring Osama bin Laden who is one of the most wanted persons in this country.

The Taliban has been consistently maintaining that Bin Laden cannot be either expelled or handed over for trial. At the same time, Washington has tried to keep up the lines of communications open.

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